Ed Fallon’s IDP Fall Gala Criticism Was Ridiculous Garbage

After an enjoyable evening of seeing fellow Democratic friends, watching the seven gubernatorial candidates speak and laughing at Alec Baldwin’s jokes, the IDP’s Fall Gala attendees likely left the event thinking to themselves, “Now, I wonder what Ed Fallon thought of all this.”

Fortunately for them, the former legislator chose to share his thoughts on the matter the next day. Unfortunately, his take was utter garbage and filled with outright inaccuracies and misnomers.

It is no surprise, of course, that Fallon did not view the state party’s biggest event in years in a positive light, calling it a “colossal failure.” He’s been angry toward the Democratic Party since losing the gubernatorial primary in 2006 and coming up short in a peculiar challenge to an incumbent Democratic congressman. But his criticism of the fundraiser – published in the Des Moines Register – was so petty and ridiculous that it bears some examination.

Let’s go through it line by line (his words in italics).

Maybe the Iowa Democratic Party’s (IDP) big annual event was a success in terms of generating funds for the party and enthusiasm for its candidates. But in several significant ways, it was a colossal failure.

1. The sound system performed horribly, with much of the speakers’ messages lost in an echo chamber of garbled sound waves.

He starts off with his one legitimate complaint. The audio for the event wasn’t great, though it did get a little better as the speeches went on and they made adjustments. The party did plenty of sound checks before the event started and it was working fine then, but once the room filled up with people, the audio got a little weird.

2. Not allowing the Events Center’s wait staff to stay and hear Alec Baldwin reeked of elitism. The decision was made by the facility’s management, but the IDP should have objected. Heck, the wait staff should have been paraded up to the stage and thanked with a standing ovation.

This is ridiculous. Troy Price literally thanked the wait staff from the stage and the crowd gave them some of the biggest cheers of the night. The party has done this at nearly every major event I can remember and has always shown their appreciation for the people serving them. And they weren’t kicked out of the event, they were just done serving dinner by the time Baldwin took the stage.

3. The Gala was clearly a pay-to-play deal and the IDP milked candidates with the most money, notably Fred Hubbell and Nate Boulton. From what I could tell, these two purchased hundreds of tickets and spent possibly tens of thousands of dollars. Kind of reminds one of the much-maligned Republican Party of Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll, which Democrats have never been hesitant to slam.

Apparently campaigns buying tickets to the dinner is proof of an evil, primary-rigging conspiracy for Fallon. Suggesting there was “pay-to-play” is idiotic. Every gubernatorial candidate got to speak for the same amount of time whether they bought tickets or not. Each candidate had the same opportunity to put up signage. Each candidate got the same length of introduction. The speaking order was randomized. If some campaigns wanted to bring more of their supporters to the event than others, what’s the big deal?

Besides, isn’t it a good thing that these candidates are helping to bring in funds for the party so that Democrats can do more outreach? Haven’t we been complaining that top-of-ticket nominees haven’t done enough to ensure a strong party infrastructure?

The GOP Straw Poll comparison is bunk as well. In that situation, ticketed attendees got to cast votes in a poll that was covered extensively by the media. There was no voting at this event, just candidates giving their speeches to the audience.

I’d bet you money that if his preferred candidate had the largest cheering section that night, he wouldn’t raise the same concerns. In fact, it seemed like he didn’t when Bernie Sanders filled the bleachers at the 2015 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

4. Beyond the cost of admission ($50 just to sit in the bleachers and watch the higher-paying attendees eat), scheduling the Gala on a Monday excluded many rank-and-file voters, especially those far from Des Moines. As Paul Deaton of Johnson County tweeted, “#IDPFallGala schedule (Monday evening) not viable for working Ds outside Des Moines. Maybe that’s the point.”

If so many people were left out by the Monday event, why was it the best attended fall fundraiser ever for a non-caucus year? The date was due to Baldwin’s schedule, and sometimes you have to work around a major entertainer’s availability to get a big name. Insinuation that it was intentionally done to screw over working people is ridiculous, and would require someone to think that the party staff and leaders are downright evil and sinister to do so. The reality is that there will always be some sort of problem with any kind of date chosen for a major event. The unprecedented turnout seemed to suggest it wasn’t as big of a hinderance as some thought.

There’s also been a lot of complaints online that the Democratic Party dared to charge attendees for tickets. It’s a fundraiser. I have been to countless events around the state where Democratic voters have had the chance to see all their gubernatorial candidates at forums and speaking events for free. The opportunities for everyone are there, but yeah, for a small handful of events a year you’re going to have to pay so that the party can actually do all the important outreach efforts it needs to.

I’m not a fan of the Fall Gala name, but I don’t think there’s many voters out there making their voting decisions based off of a party fundraising name. Besides, it was the party’s state central committee that chose it – the folks actually elected by the activists who show up for the caucus (and in this case it included many of the more progressive members who came in with Bernie Sanders – edit: the original vote was before they came on the board, but a vote to change the name once they joined narrowly failed). Implying that Democrats are in favor of lower wages for working people because of one fundraiser name is silly. Especially when nearly every speaker on stage made raising wages a key part of their speech. Fallon could have pointed that out, but that would have required saying something positive.

From what I was able to catch of the candidates’ speeches, they all performed reasonably well — with the glaring absence of any discussion about the urgency of climate change.

This just flat-out isn’t true. Several of the candidates and Alec Baldwin talked about climate change.

So far, Cathy Glasson has been the only gubernatorial candidate to speak out against the Gala’s pandering to money and privilege, saying, “People in our movement holding down two or three jobs and still struggling to make ends meet don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend for a fancy dinner.” That’s not an endorsement of Glasson, but I appreciate her willingness to challenge the IDP.

Yeah, Cathy Glasson didn’t actually say that. Fallon seems to be just making shit up here.

He finished his column arguing that Democrats are headed for another defeat in 2018.

The problem, as it always is, with people like Fallon is that they simply can’t help themselves when critiquing a candidate or party or institution they don’t like. Do real issues still remain with the Democratic Party and its appeal to Iowa voters? Yes. Are there still structural changes that the state party should be working on? Absolutely. But when you toss in your legitimate complaints with outright falsehoods or ridiculous sniping over tiny problems, your point gets completely lost.

Iowa Democrats should be glad that their state party leadership and staff were able to put together one of the best-attended and well-received fall fundraisers in years. That kind of hard work does a lot more to help get Democrats elected in 2018 than the petty bullshit whining from a failed politician.

The IDP should thank me for speaking candidly about what thousands and thousands of rank-and-file voters know to be true. If the Party’s old guard wants to continue to shoot the messengers of reform, they’ll have only themselves to blame for permanent minority status and the accompanying disastrous policies.

In response to Patrick Rynard’s column:
1. I am not angry with the IDP, Leonard Boswell, or my 3rd grade teacher. See? 😀
2. The sound system was so bad I must have missed Troy Price thanking the wait staff. But I was hardly the only one who missed it.
3. The wait staff were indeed told not to be on the floor during Baldwin’s speech. I know because the gal in charge of the wait staff told me.
4. I stand by my contention that it’s wrong for candidates with the most money to get to bring more backers while the supporters of candidates with less money can’t attend.
5. Hold your gala fundraisers for the rich if you must, but the IDP’s main event(s) should be accessible and affordable to all.
6. Mentioning climate change and addressing it as the crisis it is are two different things. I’ve since learned that Andy McGuire has a strong statement on her website. Major kudos to her!
7. Yes, Cathy Glasson did actually say that in a message sent out the next morning. Good for her. And I’ve since learned that John Norris said, “Our campaign is not about purchasing you high priced table seats at the Gala.” Good for him. Wish I’d been able to hear it.

“Besides, it was the party’s state central committee that chose it – the folks actually elected by the activists who show up for the caucus (and in this case it included many of the more progressive members who came in with Bernie Sanders)”.

Actually the name change was made before the new central committee members were seated. Those who were elected at district/state conventions in 2014 made the name change.

I don’t know about a take down, but I would hope every serious dem would take down Ed’s (and all contrarian’s) comments and consider them. Can you imagine that he might be right as to the effect, if not the intention, of the points he brings up. I left Iowa 3 decades ago. I left a unified sensible state. I come back and find…democrats still mad at each other over something 4 election cycles in the past while present day repubs (and the bluedogs who love them) are turning Iowa into North South Carolina. Attack Dix and co. with the same specificity and indignation and Iowa Dems may earn the chance to have nice things again. I don’t think Dems are headed for defeat…unless they fail to coalesce around (name your choice) and hang the branstad/reynolds record around Rep necks like a boat anchor.

Sounds like a fun event to attend. I decided to stay home mainly because I remember the 2015 JJ Dinner with all the loud noise and cheering. As someone that has hearing problems and has hearing aids it is just difficult to hear under those circumstances. The
only thing that concerns me is if all the excitement will translate into Democratic victories in 2018. Probably candidates were just talking to the choir when they gave their speeches at the Gala. The candidates that can take their case out to rural Iowa will have the best chance. Rural Iowa farms, towns, small and mid sized cities are the ones that will decide the election in 2018. They came out for droves in 2016 for the Republicans. My wife and I poll watched in 2016 at the largest precinct in Ankeny which is one of the largest precincts in Iowa and young 20 somethings male and females, laboring voters were standing in line early to vote. The precinct went heavily for Trump. You could just see it on their faces when they came in to vote and when they left the polls. There is not enough traditional Dems and laboring people in the cities that can swing it for Dems. I am happy that it was successful event for the party. Dems need to be positive, have candidates that can project the right message and image in 2018. With the new voter laws put in place by the GOP will the Dems be able to operate a successful early vote and election day program? THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING! I certainly hope so.

I agree with Ed Fallon and Cathy Glasson. Money buys access. The truth is many people view the Iowa Democratic Party Fall Gala as classist. Take a poll. This event proves how out of touch the Iowa Democratic Party is with everyday Iowans and this article proves how dedicated Pat Rynard is to preserving the pay to play political system. Seriously, you have people who want to be involved sitting in bleachers watching those who can afford $1,250 a table being served a three course meal. Party of the people? Let’s face it, the state party has done nothing to energize voters or attract new people to the party and this vulgar display of classism is a perfect example of why. Let them eat cake? Nah, let them eat nachos from the concession stand.